William Rawdon Napier

Admiral (retired) William Rawdon Napier, C.B., C.M.G., D.S.O. (13 June, 1877 – 8 April, 1951) served in the Royal Navy.

Life & Career

The son of Commander Lenox Napier was born in Fareham, Southsea, Hants.

Napier was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on 15 January, 1898.

Napier was promoted to the rank of Commander on 30 June, 1908 and appointed to Mercury for work with submarines. He was appointed in command of the Portsmouth Submarine Flotilla on 5 January, 1909. He remained there until 10 June when he was moved over to Thames while Commander Davies was ill. His time in Thames would be extended, and he would command the flotilla from her until 21 November, 1911 when he was appointed to Prince George.

Napier was promoted to the rank of Captain on 31 December, 1913.

He was appointed to the monitor Sir Thomas Picton on 22 June, 1915, to assume command when she was commissioned and to oversee the completion of other monitors building at Belfast until then. He was discharged from this duty on 9 March, 1916.

On 9 November, 1916, he was appointed to Vernon, additional, as Superintendent of Mining and for charge of the mining school at the Gun Wharf.

Post-War

Napier left his Mining Post on 21 October, 1919. In November, he was appointed in command of the Ceres Class light cruiser Coventry.

Napier was promoted to the rank of Rear-Admiral on 2 September, 1924.

Napier was promoted to the rank of Vice-Admiral on 31 July, 1929.

Napier was promoted to the rank of Admiral on the Retired List on 30 September, 1933.

See Also

• Service Records
• Wikipedia

Naval Appointments
Preceded by Albert P. Addison	Captain of H.M. T.B. 71 15 Jun, 1897 – 10 Jul, 1897	Succeeded by Sidney J. Meyrick
Preceded by Algernon H. C. Candy	Captain of H.M. T.B. 82 20 Jun, 1902 – 25 Jul, 1902	Succeeded by Leonard L. P. Willan
Preceded by Norton A. Sulivan	Captain of H.M. T.B. 79 14 Jul, 1904	Succeeded by Charles L. Fox
Preceded by Vernon H. S. Haggard	Captain of H.M.S. Vesuvius 1 Jan, 1906 – 30 Jun, 1908	Succeeded by Leonard A. B. Donaldson
Preceded by Oswald H. Davies	Captain of H.M.S. Thames 14 Jul, 1909 – 21 Nov, 1911	Succeeded by Alexander R. Palmer
Preceded by New Command	Captain of H.M.S. Edinburgh Castle 5 Sep, 1914 – 14 Mar, 1915	Succeeded by Herbert J. T. Marshall
Preceded by New Command	Captain of H.M.S. Sir Thomas Picton 22 Jun, 1915 – 9 Mar, 1916	Succeeded by Hugh J. Tweedie
Preceded by Ronald C. Mayne	Captain of H.M.S. Buttercup 9 Mar, 1916 – 9 Nov, 1916	Succeeded by Richard H. Walters
Preceded by ?	Senior Naval Officer, Tenth Sloop Flotilla 9 Mar, 1916 – 9 Nov, 1916	Succeeded by Ronald C. Mayne
Preceded by ?	Captain of Portsmouth Mining School 9 Nov, 1916 – 21 Oct, 1919	Succeeded by Alexander R. Palmer
Preceded by Howard J. L. W. K. Willcox	Captain of H.M.S. Coventry Nov, 1919	Succeeded by Alfred H. Norman
Preceded by Hugh J. Tweedie	Captain of H.M.S. Castor 18 Apr, 1920 – 21 Dec, 1920	Succeeded by Alfred H. Norman
Preceded by Robert N. Bax	Captain of H.M.S. Royal Sovereign 27 May, 1922 – 25 Apr, 1924	Succeeded by Bernard St. G. Collard
Preceded by John D. Allen	Captain of H.M.S. Vernon 15 Jul, 1924 – 1 Nov, 1924	Succeeded by Henry K. Kitson
Preceded by Percival H. H. Thompson	First Naval Member of the Australian Naval Board 7 May, 1926 – Aug, 1929	Succeeded by William M. Kerr